The unicellular plants more readily take up iron in the presence of salp feces than in krill feces, an experiment in Antarctica reveals.
plankton
Posted inResearch Spotlights
First Worldwide View of a Key Phytoplankton Proxy
New insights into the dynamics of ocean features known as deep chlorophyll maxima set the stage for better understanding of their role in carbon cycling.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Alkalinity Trap at the Bottom of the World
Tiny microorganisms in the Southern Ocean affect the way the rest of the world’s seas respond to carbon dioxide.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Role of Midsized Phytoplankton in Earth’s Biological Pump
New research finds that nanoplankton may have a larger influence on carbon cycling than previously thought.
Posted inNews
Emerging Technologies Help Scientists Tune In to Krill
Acoustic tools identify the population of “the most important fishery in the Southern Ocean.”
Posted inNews
How Machine Learning Redraws the Map of Ocean Ecosystems
Using an unsupervised learning algorithm, scientists can create new maps of ecosystem provinces in the ocean, opening the possibility of sharper data collection and monitoring.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Arctic Plankton Populations Vary by Season
Planktonic foraminifera and sea snail numbers swell from April to June in the Barents Sea, but contrary to predictions, the organisms do not appear to be affected directly by high methane levels.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Recognition for Major Players in the Ocean’s Silicon Cycle
Tiny, shelled protists known as Rhizaria may be responsible for up to one fifth of the total amount of silica produced by the world’s oceanic organisms.
Posted inNews
Could Wildfire Ash Feed the Ocean’s Tiniest Life-Forms?
Ash falling on the ocean after a wildfire could fuel plankton growth.
Posted inNews
Plankton Biodiversity Mapped Globally
A team of scientists sailed around the world to catalog the diversity of plankton species in the ocean. Their findings have important economic implications as climate warms.